PS426 Legislative Process
Professor David Canon, TA Hannah Goble

lWelcome to the class; NY Times subscriptions, my background.

lClass survey: D/R/I 7-point scale, ideology, first political memory, vote for Pres this fall, relevant classes (104, 408), career plans?

lSyllabus, nuts and bolts, changing sections.
Smith book, my book, Quirk and Binder. Less than 100 pages a week of readings.  Number phobia?
Readings packet: New Republic, National Review, National Journal and CQ -- ideological slant.

llecture outlines on the internet: www.polisci.wisc.edu/~dcanon

lCurrent events discussion.

Purpose of the Course

lGeneral versus specific knowledge. Role of a journalist versus a political scientist.

lEvaluate policy – what Congress is up to? For example, what is Congress’s role on an issue like Iraq?

lMake better citizens

Approaches to Studying Congress

lPositive – don’t make judgments about how things should work. Explain, predict -- rational choice most common in study of Congress.

–Distributive: pork barrel politics, gains from trade.

–Informational: deferral to expertise.

–Partisan: majority party is key

lNormative – how things should work.

–Representation: descriptive, geographic

–Reform: ethics reform.

Methods for Studying Congress

lQuantitative -- statistical analysis to uncover patterns, come up with explanations. Statistical control.

lQualitative – “soak and poke” Interviews with members. Richard Fenno.

lFormal – spatial model

lHistorical – can be quantitative or qualitative.

Characteristics of Congress

1.  Basics from 104

 Bicameral, geographic, single-member districts.  Debate on list-serve about the size of the House. Hasn’t been increased since the turn of the 20th century.

What is the significance of these features?

Characteristics, cont.

2.  Assessing Congress, Mark Twain, to the Onion. Popularity of Congress: institution versus own member. Collection of individuals versus the institution itself.

lSenate – individualism and partisanship. 

         50s: clubby, inward-looking, constraining norms, southern Dems.
    60-70s : policy entrepreneurship
    Late 80s-90s: more individualism and partisanship.  More diverse in terms of race and gender.
Recent period: deference to the president. Dems. Resisting Bush, but not as much as some would like.

Causes of change: membership turnover, 1958, 1964, 1974, 1980, 1994.

Characteristics, cont.

Permissive rules, open debate.  Use of rules: filibuster, holds, non-germane amendments.  Unanimous Consent Agreements.  More gridlock:  higher % of failed measures.  Role of obstruction. Less effective Senate?  No simple answer.  What do you think?  

4. House  – The evolution of partisan control.  Conservative Coalition.  Define?  Powerful in the 1940s-early 60s. Watergate class of 1974. Reform-minded freshmen. Gingrich revolution -- 1994. Democrats retake control in 2006. Hood and Friel articles: what do Democrats and Republicans need to do?

Characteristics, cont.

lPatterns of junior members and careerists.  Junior members often in a hurry to have an impact.

lImpact of struggle for partisan control on legislative output.  Makes them less willing to take risks.  Definitely saw this in 2002. Put off action on the budget. Again in 2006 with immigration reform, energy policy, and entitlement reform.

House/Senate differences: Senate the saucer that cools the hot tea of the House.

lHouse

Framers’ intent: close to the people, popular election, two year term, smaller districts

Age – 25

Majoritarian, Rules Committee, much more structured than Senate, germaneness, previous question.

lSenate

Framers’ intent: indirect election, six year term, represent sates and national interests. Role in foreign policy, treaties, nominations.

Age 30

Supermajorities, filibuster, non-germane, UCAs, no previous question.

Electoral Context

lPartisan standoff – the 49% nation. The pattern of gubernatorial elections: Republicans in Democratic states and Democrats in Republican states. Reversed a bit in 2006.

lImpact of the 2008 presidential election on Congress: Clinton, Obama, and McCain. Other senators who ran or were considering running: Lieberman, Biden, Dodd, Bayh, Feingold, Brownback, Hagel. Plus former Sen. Edwards and Thompson.

2007 – Senate composition; blue=2 D, red=2 R, purple, 1 each